Member Article

Gentoo shortlisted for Business in the Community Award

Gentoo Group has been recognised with a ‘Big Tick’ at the regional stage of the prestigious 2013 Responsible Business Awards, run by charity Business in the Community (BITC). As well as this recognition Gentoo is one of just 59 companies shortlisted to go forward to judging, with a chance to be crowned overall winner in the UK. The final result will be announced on 2 July at BITC’s National Gala Dinner in London, which is supported by the 2012 Responsible Business of the Year, Marks & Spencer.

The Big Tick is the first level of accolade in the Responsible Business Awards, the UK’s longest-running and most respected corporate responsibility awards. The scheme was set up to champion and raise awareness of the best examples from across the UK of business making a positive difference and genuinely tackling key social and environmental issues with award-winning corporate responsibility programmes.

Winning companies are awarded for initiatives across the spectrum of responsible business behaviour: from improving the health and wellbeing of employees, to helping disadvantaged people into employment or building long term partnerships with schools.

Gentoo achieved the Big Tick in the Education category for their partnership with Academy 360, which has helped raise the aspirations of young people so they can build successful working lives.

Peter Walls, Chief Executive of Gentoo Group said: “We are really proud to receive recognition of our work with Academy 360 through this prestigious award. Gentoo are committed to improving the Art of Living for everyone; to provide opportunities and enable people, whatever their age, to have the choices to shape their own lifestyle. This award demonstrates our commitment to helping to inspire young people to achieve their potential.”

Gentoo will be presented with the Big Tick Award at the North East Responsible Business Awards dinner on 27 June at The Lancastrian Suite, Gateshead and announced in a supplement in the Financial Times.

Commenting Stephen Howard, Business in the Community’s Chief Executive said: “The Responsible Business Awards shine the spotlight on an aspect of business that very rarely gets much public recognition – and that is its ability and willingness to truly transform lives, communities and society for the better. I congratulate Gentoo for its Big Tick today, which recognises that it is part of a movement of companies creating value by living their values. We hope their example will inspire many more businesses to put responsible behaviour at the heart of how they do business.”

For further information about the 2013 Awards categories including the full list of Big Tick winners and their case studies visit www.bitc.org.uk/awards

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Laura Facey .